Disability Rights Action Update:
Office of Disability Rights Funding Preserved!
Email the Council to say "Thank You!", 11/11/08
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Yesterday, 11/10/08 the DC Council approved a package of budget cuts to address current and projected city-wide budget shortfalls. Thanks to leadership by Chairman Gray, Councilmember Wells, and other Councilmembers, the package preserved funding in the Office of Disability Rights (ODR) for sign language interpretation and reasonable accommodation services.
As reported last Friday, an earlier draft budget cut plan included a 25% cut of $400,000 to the budget for the DC Office of Disability Rights (ODR). This cut would have eliminated all money for sign language interpretation and for reasonable accommodations for DC employees with disabilities. After being alerted to this issue by the community, the Council restored the ODR funding in the final budget cut plan. DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Committee on Human Services Chair Tommy Wells played key roles in making this happen.
The revised ODR budget for Fiscal Year 2009 will be $1,469,965 - an amount that reflects a 6.2% reduction of $97,895 made earlier this month by the Mayor. However, the larger cut of $400,000 has been averted.
Please email your thanks to Chairman Gray, budget committee chair Jack Evans, human service chair Tommy Wells and committee members. Email addresses that you can cut and paste into the "TO" field of your email, and a sample message, are provided below. Please personalize your message if possible. Thank you!
TO:
vgray@dccouncil.us, jackevans@dccouncil.us, twells@dccouncil.us, schwartzc@dccouncil.us, mbowser@dccouncil.us, pmendelson@dccouncil.us, hthomas@dccouncil.us
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
Thank you for preserving funds for the Office of Disability Rights to provide sign language interpreters and reasonable accommodations during FY 2009! These services are needed for the District to be open and accessible to people with disabilities, as required under federal and local law. The one in five District residents who are people with disabilities have truly benefited from your leadership and commitment to access for people with disabilities. Thank you!
